The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-05-18
IRRESISTIBLE.

:" will not be untrue she said, ano
her dark eyes flashed. ] love you, bu
| shall not marry you"
And your reasons pr he asked, in /;
voice that trembled, despite his strong
efforts to control it,
She looked at him quietly, pityingly
and her answer rung through his very
soul.
Because you would make my life one
long regret. Because, far in the years to
come / foresee such utter degradation fol
you as would make the life ofany woman
mad enough to give her happiness-hel
fate-to your keeping life ofsuch misery
that the grave would be a welcome
refuge
d" You love me, and vet YOU can say
that to me?'
g ! could not have loved YOU had
dreamed of this before. As say, | will
not be untrue believed in you wholly
| thought you the only one ! had ever
known who had touched my heart, who
could awaken in me the love a woman
gives but once in her life. yielded my
self gladly to the knowledge of this feel.
ing. for could not mistake your manner,
YOUR feelings 20 me. | saw my influence
over YOU with none of the triumph of a
coquette, you well know, but with the
quiet happiness ola woman who loves
truly, entirely, herself. But for the late
knovoedge that the fatal cup which has
ruined thousands and tens of thousands
is not strange to your lips, my heart
would be wholly yours
But, Margaret, your influence has
such power over me under it what can
not conquer? blessed with your love
what might ! not become?"
The beautiful lips lost their firmness OF
expression, and quivered with strongly
expressed feeling.
O. have no faith in my power she
said, sadly. "God only knows how in
tensely pity you, but | should go mad
if | were forced to pity my husband. ]
must esteem, respect, as well as love the
man to whom | give control of all my
future"
"Is there no hope for me?" he passion
ately exclaimed. Are you so cold, SO
hard. that you deny me all trial-that
YOU refuse to believe for you | could con-
quer, would conquer, all that stood be-
tween me and my dearest hopes of earth
ly happiness? Margaret Margaret, No
human creature but yourselfcan saveme.
If YOU refuse to listen-to belieye-I
care not what guilt bears me to OBJ
livion."
." dare not listen to you" and great
tears rolled down her cheeks; dare
not take upon myself such vows as bind
our earthly fates, and feel in my heart
how entirely we shall yet be separated
in all true union | must say to you, L
have no faith in the deadly infiituation OF
one who indulgcs in the appetite for
strong drink"
You condemn me then, to my ruiny'
| condemn you TO ruin God forbid /.
Harry Norton, il remains with yourself.
cannot conceal from you that think
you have a hard battle before you in life.
To conquer that appetite--to determine
that you will not yield, and to abst lin
from all that tends to tempt, TO awaken
desires for stimulants, no matter how
weary, how worn you are with the strug-
gle-demands the strongest will, the great
est self-sacrifice, the prayerful spirit, the
Christian life Are you capable of all
thisg If You doubt yourself at all, in mer-
cy never tempt woman to share a
drunkard's life-to behold herself the
mother Of children who will never know
the beauty, the holiness, the protection
of home.
You think exaggerate your faults.
You do not know all that is burned as
with the stamp of fire upon my memory.
The years roll back, and / see young,
trusting, credulous girl, who knew nei-
ther herself nor her needs in life, welded
to man whose earthly prospects seemed
fairer than those of most men. But this
girl, SO innocent, so lovely and trusting,
learned soon-ah, too soon that her
whole life was sacrificed to one whose
taste for the accursed stimuIant of liquor
far exceeded his love for the woman he
professcd to adore. Year afteryear pass
ed on, adding to this fatal taste addition
al strength. No caresses OF sweet-voiced,
lovely little children, nodelights of h ane
were half so dear to this man as the one
fatuation of his life.
This girl, always 50 mature in mind,
and far his superior in nature, left no
means untried TO save him. She was
very attractive in manner, conversation
and person, and all her attractions were